Public displays of affection
by Shahrazad63
Summary: I have reviewed and expanded this one - it has two parts now. Pure fluff, for those who like it. Reviews are always welcome, as usual:- Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Public displays of affection**

_**A vignette **__**in two parts**_

**Part One**

_A/N: I did not have a beta when I first published this one, and I thought it needed a serious review, and much more could be added to it. That is what I did, so I am re-publishing it__, in two parts. I hope you enjoy a little bit of fluff!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own "The Sound of Music", etc…_

_--_

_It is the passion that is in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it.__"_

_Christian Nevell Bovee_

_--_

_Caresses, expressions of one sort or another, are necessary to the life of the affections as leaves are to the life of a tree. If they are wholly restrained, love will die at the roots._

_Nathaniel Hawthorne_

--

After the events in the gazebo the previous evening, things had moved with incredible speed. Maria learned that, when the Captain had his mind set on something – _her,_ in this case – he would turn into a veritable force of nature, and there was nothing that would be able to stop him, even the sacred social conventions the aristocracy seemed to live by. A small part of her had hoped that he would keep their newly found love a secret, to be revealed little by little, with the family and closest friends, so that they all had time to adjust to such an amazing turn of events in their lives.

She had been wrong.

"_I was afraid you would change your mind and run back to the Abbey again_," he would tease her about it, weeks later, when she would question him about the maddening speed things had moved.

The engagement had been announced to the children earlier that same morning. Afterwards, the Captain had suggested that they spend the day in the city, to which everyone agreed, wholeheartedly. Maria, above all, was glad that they would go for an outing, since she had barely began to adjust to her new role as a member of the family, and found the odd looks she was already getting from some of the servants distressing enough. Although there was no official announcement made specifically to the household staff, the news were inevitably overheard, and had spread like wildfire. In spite of Georg´s silent, gentle reassurance, she felt under scrutiny, as if every little gesture was being examined by unseen eyes, and that in any moment, she would be would be breaking some unwritten social rule she did not even know existed yet.

The announcement to the children itself had been nerve wracking enough for both of them. There was the obvious uncertainty about their reaction – it was one thing to have Maria forever around as a governess or as a playmate, but as a new mother, that was entirely another matter. After their cold, reaction when he had told them about the engagement to Elsa, even Georg was not quite sure what to expect.

Indeed, their reaction had been unexpected in the way, but not in any way negative. There was shock for the first few moments, and Louisa, in particular, looked cautious, as if she were not sure what to think. Nevertheless, five minutes after they gave them the news, the children were already speculating whether the next baby in the house would be a boy or a girl, and were already picking names for their little brother and sister. It had been one of those rare moments when Maria had wanted the earth to swallow her up, but Georg had been quick to notice her distress. Although he was clearly amused by the children's comments, he cleverly put an end to the subject with one of his witty remarks, saying that they should take care of planning the wedding first, _before_ staring to choose baby names.

For Captain von Trapp, as Maria discovered soon enough, the excursion was part of a quickly designed strategy plan to minimize the effects of the rumors he knew would be coming. He left Max behind, with the free use of his telephone and an order to call everyone he knew and casually let the news about the engagement slip. The plan was to let the news out, even if unofficially, _before_ anyone had a chance to start the really ugly and damaging gossip. Needless to say that Max had been delighted by the task. The Captain had actually _commanded_ him, Max Detweiler to do what he loved to do most and did best - _gossip_!

"Go on now, all of you, have fun. But be back here in one hour to go to lunch," Georg said to the children, as soon as they reached the Pegasus fountain, in the heart of the Mirabell Gardens.

"And don't forget shopping," added Marta, her eyes shining.

"We won't forget, Marta. So don't be late, and that goes everybody." Maria made an instinctive motion to follow the children, trying to free her hand from Georg´s, but he kept his hold firm. "Except you, Fräulein," he said playfully.

Maria looked at him, a bit uncertainly. The children stopped in their tracks, also looking at the Captain with surprise. It was Liesl, as usual, the first one to catch the message in her father's cautionary glance - that he wanted some time alone with Maria and there was no one who would prevent him from doing that, not even his children.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let us no waste no time then – the faster we run, the more things we will be able to do in one hour," she said, winking to a blushing Maria. "Right father? Erhm… _Fräulein?_" she asked Maria, not yet quite sure how to call her now. The truth was that even Maria was not sure yet how to call herself!

Liesl´s words were enough to convince the six younger children, so that they wasted no more time. While the boys headed towards the maze, the five girls went towards the wooden bridge to the Bastion Gardens.

"Please say hello to Leopold for me," Maria shouted after the little ones as they left.

"Do you know about Leopold?" Georg asked, intrigued.

"Of course I do. They told me the first week I was here." Leopold was the children's favorite dwarf in the Bastion Gardens. Liesl had nicknamed him after an uncle she was particularly fond of. It would soon become everyone's favorite – and their imaginary friend.

"_The first week?!_" Now he sounded absolutely baffled.

"Yes, why?"

"Maria, Leopold was a well kept secret between the children and their mother. They have never told me about him. I wouldn't even know if my…" he hesitated, "… if their mother had not told me."

"Really?" It was Maria's turn to be amazed – and touched.

"Really. Yet they revealed their imaginary friend to you the first week you were with us…" he shook his head, his voice catching. "How can seven children outsmart their father? They already knew you were one of a kind while I was still busy yelling and glaring at you." Maria looked up to her right, and found him not glaring, but smiling down at her – that same seductive, half smile that he had directed to her the first time right after they danced the Ländler together, and that, for as long as the earth still moved, she was certain it would still have the power to make her knees weak. Unable to hold his intense gaze, she quickly looked around for the children. They were nowhere to be seen. There they were, as _alone_ as they could possibly be, for the first time since the previous night. The one difference was that now they were in a public place, surrounded by locals who, just like them, had every intention of enjoying the sunny morning in the garden.

"_I'll never get used to this, for as long as I live_", she thought, as she experienced the rush of sensations that until yesterday evening she would give anything never to have felt. Now she wondered if she could ever live without.

She asked herself when she would descend from the cloud she was living in. She felt so light and in peace and dreamy that her only link to reality was Georg´s solid presence next to her. It would not be easy, she was not so naïve to believe it would be – not the classical _lived happily ever after _fairy tale ending. That they would be happy, and ever after, she hardly had any doubts. However, not without facing a few storms on the way. They both had strong personalities, and they were bond to clash once in a while.

There were also the other rather obvious reasons – she had agreed to spend the rest of her life next to a widower who already had seven children of his own and, by what she knew, a blissfully happy marriage in his past with a woman who was close to perfection. A man who had been hurt beyond belief by the loss of his first wife. A personality so complex that Maria wondered if one day she would be able to fully comprehend. Yet, that that fine and brave man, as the Reverend Mother had called him the first time Maria ever heard his name being mentioned, was, in a way _hers_ now. She loved him, and he loved her. His hand would always be there, within reach, for her to take and hold whenever she wanted to, whenever she needed. If she were brave enough, right now, she would run her fingers through his thick, dark brown hair, and stand on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, maybe even his lips, and he would _not_ push her away. His eyes told her as much, and the enormity of it was staggering.

As if reading her thoughts, he winked at her. She smiled back, and her left hand joined her right one, which was already holding his. It was all she could do for the moment. She still felt absurdly shy, although she knew he was doing everything to help her _get used to him,_ as he had said, get used to the man that he was, not her employer, not the notorious Captain von Trapp.

As he would later admit to Maria, Georg, on the other hand, wondered what his bride would say if she knew he was probably just as bewildered as she was. The relief he felt after having hidden and repressed his feelings for months was nearly painful. Because of that, in spite of being an experienced man, he felt absurdly insecure, for the first time since he was a boy. It seemed that Maria would simply vanish if he were not holding her close, like the will-o´-the-wisp he had overheard the nuns calling her once.

To hold her hand was not all he wanted, however. Although he did have a strong, passionate nature, public displays of affection were not exactly acceptable in the world he was brought up in. In fact, his reluctance to touch or kiss his first wife in public, at least with the passion that she deserved, used to be one of their main sources of argument. His passionate nature had only been revealed in their private moments. However, with Maria, it had been so very different from the beginning. Maybe because he was now wise enough not to take her or their love for granted, maybe because life had taught him that the pain of loss was also a part of love and the hard learned lesson nearly had cost him his life, and the love of his own children.

"Weren't you wearing that same dress the day you fell off the boat?" he asked lightly, in an attempt to get some control over his thoughts.

Maria laughed, looking down at herself and patting her skirt. She was indeed wearing one of the frocks she had made with the material he had given to her soon after her arrival. "I can't remember exactly. I think I was. Maybe." The fact was that she hardly noticed what she had put on this morning, for she had been in such a hurry to go downstairs and convince herself that she had not dreamed the previous night. In fact, she had to stop half way down the main staircase and run back to her bedroom, since she had almost showed up at breakfast wearing her old sack of a nightgown and robe.

"O-ho yes, you were. My memory is astoundingly good when it comes to certain details about you."

"Oh, is it? What details for instance, Cap… Georg?" she asked.

"Hm mm." He pulled her towards the stairs that led to a rose garden, while he continued talking. "For instance, you let your hair grow a little while you were here with us, but once you returned to the Abbey, you cut it very short again."

"Hah, that! I did, yes," she touched the short hair brushing her nape. "With everything I had in my mind, the last thing I wanted while I was there was to have Sister Berthe pestering me about my sinful curls, so I cut it, just to save myself from another useless argument. I never thought anyone would notice."

"I did. Especially after that enlightening conversation we had about your hair and the seven deadly sins, remember (1)? You've lost a little weight as well, which is not surprising because you are barely eating enough to keep a flea alive."

"So have you," she noted, tenderly, squeezing his hand.

"Not to worry, we'll start to remedy that today at lunch. How does a Salzburger Nockerl for dessert sound to you?"

"Absolutely wonderful," she sighed. "Will you share one with me?"

"Not even in your dreams!" Then he added. "I _never_ share my desserts!"

Maria giggled, as her stomach reacted to his suggestion as well, and only then she fully realized that she had not yet eaten a decent meal in quite a while. Ever since the night of the party, in fact. He was right, of course, she had lost weight. Her dress, for instance, did not fit her so perfectly as it did when she first made it – it was a bit loose around her bosom, and around her waist.

He followed the direction of her gaze, as she rearranged the loose skirt. "But this dress… I remember well how beautifully it clung to your body after your unscheduled dip in the lake."

"Captain, really," she exclaimed, straightening herself, trying to feign shock to disguise her embarrassment.

"Why? Do you think it was only anger that made me yell like that at you and call you _Captain_?" Maria wrinkled her nose at him.

"Honestly, I though you were too angry to notice anything else other than your seven soaked children wearing clothes made of old curtains."

"I am just taunting you. You are right, I was so madly furious at you for daring to challenge me that I hardly noticed what _you_ were doing to me at the same time. Yet later, that same evening, I remembered quite vividly and the memory of you dripping wet tormented my dreams for weeks to come." She gave him a mock slap in the shoulder.

He took her to an empty bench, in the rose garden overlooking the Pegasus fountain. She leaned her head against him, trustingly, while he placed an arm around her shoulders. His fingers lightly played with the short curls on her nape.

"Is it me, or aren't the roses especially beautiful today?" she asked dreamingly, trying to focus her attention on the flowers, and not in his fingers on her neck, that were simply making her burn. To have him touch her like that, in the solitude of the moonlit gazebo was one thing. But not they were in public, in one of Salzburg busiest spots. She was not yet sure how to handle that,

"It is not you. They are, aren't they?" His fingers stilled, and his hand moved to her shoulder. Maria was caught between relief and disappointment, but he kept talking. "And to think that only weeks ago I would look at them and think that all rose gardens I had ever seen in my life were the same. _Seen one, seen them all,_ that is what I would probably say. I haven't been here in years, and I had forgotten how magnificent this place is."

"The gardens are one of my favorite places in Salzburg. When the nuns sent me out on errands in town, I always came here for a bit. Of course most of the times I forgot myself, and spent hours exploring it, but it would be worth it, even though I was punished for being late. The children love it too. I first taught them about the seven musical notes on those stairs over there, " she pointed. "The girls named it "the Do-Re-Mi stairs" after that day. But it's the roses that always take my breath away."

"White and red," said Georg, pensively.

"The colors of Austria. Very patriotic, don't you think? I like that."

"Patriotism is not exactly what I have in mind at the moment, Maria," he retorted very seriously.

"What did you have in mind?" She looked up at him, a little surprised.

He lowered his head until his lips were close to her ear and whispered:

"_And the white rose breathes of love;_

_O, the red rose is a falcon,_

_And the white rose is a dove._

_But I send you a cream-white rosebud_

_With a flush on its petal tips;_

_For the love that is purest and sweetest_

_Has a kiss of desire on the lips…"_

Open admiration was shinning in her eyes. "So you are not only a naval hero and an accomplished musician – you are also a poet!"

"O-ho, slow down, my love. The little poem is not mine," he admitted, modestly, resting his chin on the top of her head. "It's by an Irishman named, John Boyle O´Reilly. _For the love that is purest and sweetest/ Has a kiss of desire on the lips… _Incredibly appropriate, don't you think?"

"Very," she agreed wholeheartedly, wondering if there was anything she could do to control those awful blushes. There was also a question burning in her lips, and this time she felt brave enough to ask him. "Georg?"

"Yes?"

"How do you feel about kissing in public?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

--

_A/N: (1) See "Underneath her wimple"._


	2. Chapter 2

**Public displays of affection**

_**A vignette **__**in two parts**_

**Part ****Two**

_A/N: I did not have a beta when I first published this one, and I thought it needed a serious review, and much more could be added to it. That is what I did, so I am re-publishing it__, in two parts now. I hope you enjoy it. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own "The Sound of Music", etc…_

--

_The moment we indulge our affections, the earth is metamorphosed, there is no winter and no night; all tragedies, all ennuis, vanish,--all duties even._

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

_--_

_Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted._

_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

--

"_How do you feel about kissing in public?" _

Georg stiffened slightly, a little bit in surprise because of the unexpected nature of her question, a little bit because his old views about the subject. The experienced man that he was had naturally knew how much everything was overwhelming to Maria, most especially the physical aspects of their relationship. Until the night before, his bride had not been even kissed by a man.

"Why? _What_ is on your mind?" he asked, cautiously.

"I don't know. You see, I am finding it hard to… _control_ myself. I was wondering if that is… erhm… _normal_!"

He raised a mocking eyebrow. "_Control_ yourself, Fräulein?"

"Yes. Remember when I said that one of my worst faults was that I could never stop saying things, whatever I was thinking or feeling? Well, that is changed now."

"Maria!" He cast a doubtful glance, and she continued.

"Yes, Captain, that I owe to you. Thanks to you I finally learned to control my running mouth. Sister Berthe is probably writing to the Prime Minister as we speak to ask you to be given another medal, even though Austria has no longer a Navy. Oh, I am sure they would find one they had not given to you yet." Georg threw his head back and laughed. "On the other hand…" she looked up, searching for the appropriate words to describe her feelings. "It was worse before… before yesterday because I didn't know what to do, or when or how. I didn't _know_ that I _could_ do anything about it. But now I do and I can, and I…" She took a deep breath and finished her speech. "I can't seem to stop wanting to…

"To?" he encouraged her.

"To… to kiss you and touch you, wherever I am."

He smiled, and kissed her forehead. "_Who_ is asking you to stop, Maria?"

"No one, but…" she looked around the garden. There was no other embraced couple in sight. "It is not something that you see done in public is it?"

"No, it is not, but I must admit I am also guilty as charged - I don't seem to be in control either when it comes to you, my love."

"Yes, but you have been through this before, you know how to… how to… _control things._" she pointed. "I have not, and I always had a terrible problem with discipline, as you know so very well."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, darling, I most certainly would not blow my whistle at you to keep you from kissing me."

"That is good to know!" she sounded relieved.

"As for being through this before…" He shrugged, and took a deep breath before continuing. "You are not entirely right."

"No?" She sounded baffled.

"I'm afraid not. No, it was not quite like this, Maria. Not quite. This has been… much too intense. The first time was like…" he looked up, trying to search for a suitable comparison, his eyes as blue as the sky. "… like sailing in Lake Wolfgang in a clear, calm day. Pleasant, beautiful, everything going as planned, everything as it should be. The fact that I would eventually reach port never being something I had reason to doubt would happen. And reach port I did, even if later…"

"I see." She was not quite sure about what to say. Eventually, she knew that he would be able to bring himself to tell her about his first marriage, without using every means to avoid saying Agathe´s name, and without using metaphors. Certainly, she would not be the one to force him to do that, unless she felt it would be necessary. The fact that they had found each other did not mean that his painful memories would simply vanish as if his previous life had never existed. Maria was certainly not naïve enough to believe that.

Meanwhile, when it came to pushing unwanted thoughts away, Georg was till the master. Maria found him staring at her fixedly again, his eyes no longer sky blue, but of an intense midnight hue. "With you it was more like crossing Cape Horn during a winter storm," he said, referring to the strait at the extreme tip of South America, famous for its icy rough waters and strong winds.

"Well, thank you!" she exclaimed, in mock offense.

"No, don't take it wrong. It was exhilarating, unpredictable. Beautiful. A mad ride, but one I would give my life not to miss. To be absolutely honest with you, I did not know it could be like this."

He leaned down intending to place a soft kiss on her lips. The kiss was meant to be restrained, contrasting with his passionate admission. Maria, on the other hand, reassured by his words, had other ideas. Her lips met his halfway, and the kiss deepened, as they forgot themselves, forgot that they were in one of Salzburg's most notorious landmarks, and forgot everything else other than each other.

Two elderly women passed them, not bothering to keep their voices down.

"How scandalous!"

"And here in Salzburg?! I thought only the _French_ kissed like that."

"Isn't that _Captain von Trapp_?"

"Yes, but that is so unlike him, this kind of behavior. He's known to be a model of decorum."

"And the woman – good gracious, isn't she that _governess_? The one who was dancing with him at the party!"

"Forward creature!"

"Positively shocking."

They kept talking, until they could no longer hear them.

"Oh Lord," Maria exclaimed, dropping her head on his shoulder, not sure what to think. She knew that sooner or later she would overhear such kind of talk, but she innocently hoped that it would not happen so soon. "_Now_ I know why embracing in public is not done."

Fortunately, Georg was not about to let the incident spoil their mood. "Don't worry, my love. The news of the engagement will be out before the really ugly rumors start. Max is taking care of that as we speak, and no one is more effective in starting a rumor to kill another one than him."

"Do you really, honestly believe that?" she looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

He shook his head. "With Max Detweiler in charge of spreading the good news? We're doomed," he said, and she let out a contagious laugh, in which he joined her.

"It is not wrong, is it?" she asked, suddenly very serious.

"What? Public displays of affection, or we not being able to control ourselves, sailing the Beagle channel, marrying my governess, or Max gossiping about everything?"

"All of them, I think."

"Nothing between us will ever be wrong, Maria. Holy, sacred, beautiful… but no less than that. Never less than that, and don't you ever forget it!" He stopped to kiss her fully on the lips, a quick stolen kiss, but enough to leave them both breathless. "This," he said emphatically, against her lips, "is what I mean! It is true, embracing in public is not done, but considering everything we both went through, I think we have earned that privilege today. And today at least, there is no law, no convention that will convince me that I simply cannot kiss my bride whenever I damn well please."

Maria's voice caught on her throat. "I see…"

"I was thinking," he began, trying to lead them to a safer subject once more. "that I too should take you to my favorite places."

"Cape Horn?" He glared at her, playfully, and she continued. "To Vienna and its _glittering salons_? To soak ourselves in champagne and waltz until our feet are so numb that we can't feel them?"

"Who told you about Vienna?" he asked her in surprise, since she had practically quoted someone else.

"The highlights of Viennese life were all Baroness Schrader spoke about whenever she had the chance when you were not around."

"Oh, did she?"

"Hm mm! She used to say you were quite the rake there."

"Hah!"

_Is he blushing?_ – Maria thought amusedly.

"Well, I would not be completely honest with you if I did not admit that I have not exactly lived the life of a monk. In fact, I am a most sinful man," he teased. "I had my wild days. Max could tell you about them – if I let him, that is."

"But you will not let him."

"Not even under torture!"

"I am prepared for the worse," she retorted dramatically.

"Oh, are you?" he challenged. His gaze was intense, hot. Almost too much to bear.

Maria lowered her head, and tried to go back to a safer topic of conversation. "Now, about Vienna…"

"Yes, Vienna, glittering salons, champagne, waltzes, concerts, cafés, and all that. But I also want to show you Venice, Florence, Paris. And the sea, of course. I must take you out to sea with me. Just the two of us."

"To Cape Horn?"

"If you are up to the challenge," he provoked.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Why not? Let us forget Cape Horn for the moment. I was thinking of the Aegean, instead. Calm, blue waters. Loving you in the middle of the wine-dark sea, as Homer described it, with nothing but the sky and the starts around us…"

She felt her face on fire, and, at the same time, felt shy because of her own embarrassment. Quickly, she tried to think of something to say. "Mmmmmm… I just…"

"What Maria?"

"I just remember what you said once; when you were mad at me. About myself and submarines, and how those two things would not actually go very well together."

There – safe subject again.

She loved him more than life itself, but things were still too new for her, she needed a little time. Of course she was not so innocent that she did not know that they would be very intimate once they were wedded. She knew what would happen, but her feelings were still confused – at the same time she longed to be close to him in every way, the fear of the unknown was still there. Because of that, Maria wasn't yet ready to consider the physical aspects of their relationship that, sooner or later, she would have to face. She knew she would have to, eventually. But not today.

"What on earth did I say to you?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

"_You,_ Captain, said that no self respecting Navy in the face of the earth would allow me inside a boat, because I would most probably start another great war." He started laughing. "In fact, you said that it was a good thing that they did not allow women inside submarines. Then you proceeded to describe in detail all possible accidents I would be able to cause in the close confinements of a U-boat." He still laughed. "Don't you dare laughing, I _am_ serious. You've witnessed the full extent of my nautical skills when I nearly drowned your children. You would probably make me walk the plank."

"Fräulein Maria!"

"Yes?"

"I think I have some more interesting punishments in mind for you."

"And to think you said you were too dull to be a pirate!" she exclaimed.

"You forgot that you completely redeemed yourself in my eyes that day we went sailing from St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang with the children (1). You already had your vengeance, my love, have you forgotten that? We are even. You made me swallow my own reckless words that day, and I must admit now that I nearly choked on them."

Maria smiled triumphantly at the sweet memory. It had been one of those painfully beautiful summer days in the Salzkammergut. She had been still her old self, almost completely oblivious of the attraction between them. He had decided to take the children sailing in Lake Wolfgang – where he had learned to sail himself – like he did in the old days. Naturally one small sail boat would be too small for seven children, a governess and their father – nine in all. Maria ended up in the same boat with him, since he would not trust her in the water with _any_ of the children, considering the previous events. The result had been a mock race, which they had brilliantly won, after having left in last place, because he had too busy lecturing her about the proper way to untie a sailor knot. They had beaten the boat sailed by Louisa and Kurt by less than a meter, a victory that Louisa still questioned from time to time, and, in fact, was constantly demanding another chance to beat her father.

She made a dismissive gesture. "Oh that? I just sat there and did not move unless you told me. It was you who did all the hard work, remember?"

"Precisely."

"Oh!"

"By the way, it was an excuse, you should know that. A very poor one, I am amazed you did not see right through it."

"What was the excuse?" she asked.

"I said that day that I did not trust you in the same boat with _any_ of my children. The truth was that I wanted you to sail with _me_."

"Oh, I was completely clueless during those days! I would never have guessed it, Captain. Dare I ask why?"

He shrugged. "A number of reasons. Not only I wanted you close but I also would not want to miss the chance to see you fall in the water again." That earned him another playful slap in the shoulder, but he smiled shyly, shaking his head, "No, not only that. I admit I was eager to - uhm - to show off a little bit!"

"You mean to give me a sample of your fine, superior, legendary skills as a naval commander?"

"No, not that," he sneered a bit. "You had said I did not look like a sea captain. I wanted you to be sure that not only I was a sea captain but also a very good one, in case you still had your doubts."

"But I was only your governess!" she exclaimed in awe. "That was before everything, before I even… before you…"

"I know. _Before_. And make no mistake; it drove me crazy when I considered my reasons for doing what I did. Of course I paid for it dearly in the end. It was you who surprised me..."

"Yes," she admitted without a hint of modesty. "In the end _one_ of us _did_ fall into the water, remember?" she nudged him.

"Yes, but it wasn't you!"

Again, the memory made them both laugh. Then she was serious again. "What happens now? What do we do? What do I do?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea," he chuckled. Before she could protest, he continued. "I know, my love, we have so much to do, and so little time if we want to get married before the end of the summer."

"We have to start with _something,_ don't we?"

"Well, no matter how _unconventional_ this whole thing between us was, there are still some silly rules we must follow. We have to make some kind of formal announcement. My family... the Whiteheads…"

"Yes, of course."

"Nothing really big, don't worry. Just a dinner party or something like that. I was thinking I could take you to them instead of having them come to Salzburg. School starts in two weeks, and the children would enjoy the short vacation."

"Take me where?"

"To Vienna."

"_Vienna_," she echoed.

"Yes, my love. You have been to Vienna, haven't you?"

"Yes, but not to _your_ Vienna!"

"Well, you'll be able to verify the truth behind Elsa's words by yourself," he taunted.

"Hmmm," she sneered.

His arm slid down her back and he squeezed her waist. "Seriously, darling. That is where most of the von Trapps live nowadays. Besides, we will need to do some shopping for the wedding and honeymoon, and I am sure that over there you'll find everything you may possibly need. And your wedding dress, of course."

Before Maria could ask him anything else, or even thing about what he had said, they were attracted by the children's voices, coming from the Pegasus fountain. The Captain stood up and took Maria's hand, as they descended the stairs and walked towards them.

--

_A/N: (1) Yes, it __could be another story in the making. Probably a vignette, although I am not sure when I will be able to write it. The idea came to me recently, during a boat ride in Wolfgangsee._


End file.
